A rare silver coin -- denarium -- bearing the bust of Marcus Junius Brutus, dated 42 BC, and issued during the Roman Civil Wars by a mobile military mint, was returned to Athens on Tuesday and delivered to Culture Minister George Voulgarakis by the Greek embassy in London's cultural attaché.

According to Voulgarakis, the coin is the fifth valuable ancient artifact returned to Greece over the last three years. It will be kept at the Numismatic Museum of Athens, where it is scheduled for display in 2007.

Official figures point to 58 similar coins around the world today.

Brutus committed suicide during the second battle at Philippi on Oct. 23, 42 BC, using the dagger with which he assassinated Julius Caesar.

In June 2005, the Greek embassy in London was informed that unidentified Greek nationals had sold the coin to Classical Numismatic Groups Inc for 18,000 pounds. The company returned the coin unconditionally at the Greek state's request based on the EU directive regarding illegally exported cultural goods.

Other repatriated artifacts over the last three years include a marble statue piece, returned by Gorny & Mosch House in Munich, dated the Augustus' time and bearing a relief presentation of Nereus and Hercules; a bronze figurine from Samos removed from the Museum of Vathi during the Second World War, and coins from the Asini archaeological site in the northeastern Peloponnese discovered during the Swedish Archaeological Institute's excavations in the 1920s.

Caption: Culture Minister George Voulgarakis shows off the rare silver denarium for reporters on Tuesday, June 27, 2006. ANA-MPA photo / K. Mavrona.